HOW TO MAKE RIDDLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 38, 7 May 1927, Page 25 (Supplement)

HOW TO MAKE RIDDLES

Words which are made up of two or more short words may easily be used for riddles. For example, from the word carpet this riddle may be made: My first (car) ybu can ride in, my second (pet) is my dog Rover, and my whole (carpet) is found in almost every house.

The following riddle is made from the word yellow:—My first is a sharp cry, my second is not high, and my whole is a colour. Who am I?

There are many, many words of this kind in the English language. Here are just a few of them: —Adage (add, age), elbow (el, bow), number (numb, bur), tireless (tire, less), before (bee, four), barefoot (bear, foot), bunny (bun, knee), certain (sir, ten), and grandfather (grand, father). Another easy way in which to make a riddle is by a play on words that have the same sound, but differ in meaning. Thus with the words nay and neigh you make a riddle like this:—What did my pony say when I wanted to ride him on a cold winter morning? Answer —He said, “Neigh” (Nay).

This riddle is made with the words told and tolled. Why should church bells remember what the sexton tells them? Answer —Because he has tolled them so often. The words whole and hole are used in this riddle:—-Why did the hole in your doughnut disappear? Answer — Because you ate the whole (hole). Rap and wrap make the following riddle: —Why can I hear my coat? Answer—Because it’s a wrap (rap). Words of this kind are called homonyms. You will find lists of them in almost any spelling book. Just for fun make some riddles with these words:—Herd heard, sea see, hore hoarse, pair pear, blue blew, stake steak, ring wring, nose knows, pain pane, and left (adjective) left (verb;. Nature riddles are interesting and are not difficult to make because of the poetical names of flowers and trees.

What is the saddest tree? Answer —The weeping willow. What flower is a bird in a shabby dress? Answer—the ragged robin. My first is an animal, my second is a tree, and my whole a sign of spring. Who am I? Answer—Pussy willow.

My first is made of precious metal, my second spoils a child when it is spared, and my whole is an autumn flower. Who am ? Answer—Goldenrod. What riddles can you make up on: Snow-ball, butter-cup, jack-in-the-pulpit, tiger-lily, four-o’clock, milkweed, cow-slip, bachelor’s button, bleeding heart, and sweet William? GROWTH A toadstool comes up in a night; Learn the lesson, little folk — An oak grows on a hundred years; But then, it is an oak. —Christina Rossetti.